Board of Directors
The OCR Board of Directors consists of a ten-member board appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court. Please see C.R.S. §13-91-104 for the qualifications and duties of the OCR Board. The Board Members are:
- Terraine Bailey: Terraine Bailey is the founder and managing attorney of the Bailey Law Firm, LLC. The practice was established upon Ms. Bailey's belief
that quality legal representation is the crux of acheiving justice in the legal system. Ms. Bailey works tirelessly to ensure that the level of service provided to each client- even the tiniest ones- is first rate. Her primary practice areas are juvenile, criminal and administrative law. Ms. Bailey is an active member of the legal community. She is a member, past Secretary and Executive Board Member of the Sam Cary Bar Association and the National Association of Counsel for Children. - Ember Beamon: Ms. Beamon is 28 years old and was in foster care from the age of ten until she emancipated at age eighteen. She graduated from Lamar Community College with an Associate of Science degree in 2000. She then went on to graduate from Metropolitan State College with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2005. From December 2006-June 2007, she co-chaired the Celebration of Educational Excellence, in which foster youth throughout the state of Colorado are invited to celebrate their accomplishments of graduating from high school, obtaining a GED, or graduating from college, trade school, or any other educational institution. Currently, she is the Office Manager of a private drug and alcohol counseling center.
- Marsha Caplan: Marsha Caplan is the Executive Director of Voices for Children, the Boulder County CASA. She has served in this position for over 15
years. During her tenure at Voices for Children, she has taken the organization to a new level with 105 volunteers who serve hundreds of children. As a result of Ms. Caplan's efforts and professionalism, input from Boulder CASA is highly valued by all participants in the child welfare arena. Leaders in her community look to her for guidance and leadership on child welfare issues, and she has become a great force in the adovcacy for children. She also serves on several boards including Boulder Country's Domestic Abuse Prevention Project (DAPP). - Paul Garcia: Mr. Garcia is the Dean of Adams City High School, which is located in Commerce City. As a child, he grew up
in Commerce City and graduated from his same high school. He is very dedicated to the students he serves and understands the educational challenges that face this and other communities. He is especially knowledgeable about problems that students with a poor socioeconomic background must overcome to complete their high school education and further pursue higher education and/or employment. He has dedicated himself to engaging his community and successfully overcoming the very serious truancy and drop-out problems this district has long faced. He is highly respected by his peers and leaders in his community. He was recommended originally by Lorenzo Trujillo, the curent Assitant Dean for Students and Professional Programs and Professor Attendant Rank at the Unviersity of Colorado School of Law. - Lynne M. Hufnagel: Ms. Hufnagel graduated from Pomona College with honors, and lived in Micronesia for two years working for the Peace Corps as an English teacher. She returned to Denver and attended the Univ. of Denver College of Law and graduated with honors. She has dedicated much of her career to the public sector: she worked at the Neighborhood Youth Corps in an effort to assist teens with job training and workforce skills; and the Legal Aid Society Family L
aw Center representing children and parties in divorce cases; she served as a Magistrate in the juvenile division bench in El Paso County; and as a DA in the juvenile division in Jefferson County and she was appointed to the bench in November of 1981 in Denver District Court. In 1991, she retired from the bench and began a position at Brownstein, Hyatt and Farber in the commerical litigation department. She retired from Brownstein in 2008. - Laura Hunt: Laura Hunt, Executive Director of the Larimer County Child Advocacy Center (LCCAC), has over 18 years of experience as a Director of a non-profit agency. Ms. Hunt has been the Executive Director of the LCCAC since May 2002. Previously, she was the Executive Director of CASA/Harmony House for
10 years. Prior to her work with non-profit agencies, Ms. Hunt worked in the private business sector. Her current job duties include the financial management of the agency, fundraising, grant writing and management of staff. Ms. Hunt facilitates the Larimer County Child Fatality review team, is President of the Colorado Children's Alliance, is a leader on the Larimer County Child Protection team and is a board member of Strengthening Kids and Youth. She received a B.S. degree frm the University of Wyoming. - Colorado State Representative Cheri Jahn: Term limited effective last November; Representative Jahn served as a Representative at the state legislature
for the last eight years. Rep. Jahn was appointed by her party as Speaker Pro Tempore and was a member of the House Services, Business Affairs and Labor and Judiciary Committees. Her leadership on issues relating to children, families and the state's court systems will be missed at the State Capitol. Representative Jahn had the ability to collaborate with both Republicans and Democrats creating significant legislation over the last eight years. - Shirley Rowe: Shirley Rowe received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Mesa State University, a Master's degree in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado, and additionally, wrote her thesis on the various effects child abuse and neglect in Mesa County have on both the children and the community. In 1997, after learning about CASA on the internet, Ms. Rowe formed a steering committee with the State CASA Director, which led to the birth of CASA of Mesa County. She has been truly blessed to serve as the Executive Director for CASA of Mesa County for approximately 10 years, and is proud to say that they have retained six of their original ten volunteers throughout that time. Ms. Rowe is a highly respected leader in her community, frequently serving on multi-disciplinary committees.
- Peg Rudden: Peg Rudden, Executive Director, CASA Advocates for Children, has been an ardent advocate for children for more than 25 years. In her
current role as Executive Director for Advocates for Children, she directs the activities of the nonprofit organization that provides CASA volunteers to the abused and neglected children of the 18th Judicial District. In 1981, Ms. Rudden began her first CASA case in Denver, the role of a CASA volunteer and the voice for a child in court has been the mantra of her life ever since. - Joseph Wallis: Mr. Wallis is an attorney in private practice that provides GAL services for OCR in the 4th Judicial District.
Prior to representing children as a GAL, he was a Deputy County Attorney for El Paso County for more than seven years. He has broad experience in child welfare law and litigation. Early in his career, Mr. Wallis provided rural pro-bono legal services through the Lend-A-Lawyer in Ft. Morgan. He is a graduate from the University of Dayton School of Law and completed his undergraduate work at Villanova University.